Creighton at BU Saturday 1/10/09

[Da Coach]

The next game is Creighton at Bradley on Saturday, 1/10/09, at 7:05 pm.
The game will be televised by WTVP in Peoria.
WTVP is on Comcast cable 12, and 916 (High-Def).

Bradley is 10-5, 4-0 in the MVC. Creighton is 12-4, 2-2 in the MVC.
This will be the last home game until January 24. After this game, Bradley plays their next 3 games on the road at Indiana State (1/13), SIU (1/18 ), and UNI (1/21)

RPI from www.realtimerpi.com -
Bradley 48
Creighton 90

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_mvc_Men.html

Creighton website-
http://www.gocreighton.com/SportSele...PSID=89381&KEY=

Roster-

http://www.gocreighton.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1000&KEY=&SPID=69&SPSID=89384

Schedule/results-

http://www.gocreighton.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1000&KEY=&SPID=69&SPSID=89385

Creighton stats-

http://www.gocreighton.com/fls/1000/stats/m-basketball/0809/teamcume.htm

BU stats-

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=19334&SPID=1498&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=1626619

Creighton fan message board-

http://thebluejaycafe.com/BB/viewforum.php?f=2

[SaintLouBrave22]

I'll gladly take a 3-1 swing in the next 4 coming back to play Indiana State...

BUT as they say, the next one is the most and only important game so lets get that one first.

[ser_solace]

The team needs to stay focused and not dwell too much on the victory over ISU. There's always going to be another test around the corner.

[Rusty 54]

Another huge home game. I am interested in how we play this one, being at the top of the Valley we are going to be hunted and I wonder how this team will respond. My money is Les having us ready to play! isu, creighton, and siu. the axis of evil in the MVC...two down at home, 1 to go!

[bluedevils1]

I hope CU comes out and plays like they are expected to win the MVC, because our young guys need all the tough tests they can get for STL. If Creighton is like the team of old, they will come prepared and I would take a loss if it meant a learning curve and better preparation if we play them in the tourney. The upcoming road games will be better tests of that, but this still will be a tough game. It will be interesting to see how this young team responds to the target on its back.

[real fan]

BU needs to win this game and all the remaining home games in order to make a run at 1st place, a loss would not help us further down the road and beating Creighton would give us a 3 game lead over them which would be huge.

[Rusty 54]

I hope CU comes out and plays like they are expected to win the MVC, because our young guys need all the tough tests they can get for STL. If Creighton is like the team of old, they will come prepared and I would take a loss if it meant a learning curve and better preparation if we play them in the tourney. The upcoming road games will be better tests of that, but this still will be a tough game. It will be interesting to see how this young team responds to the target on its back.

I think we have had all the tests we need. We played the big boys on the road in Michigan State and Florida, we got beat by a couple teams that we maybe thought we should have won against in UW Platteville, UMKC, and UW Milwaukee, won at the loudest (arguably) arena in the Valley at WSU, won at our house of horrors at MSU, and beat the then-undefeated isu in a game that would have been intense enough even if it hadn't been for fist place in the Valley. I think this team has learned a lot. The Valley is tough to win, even in a so called down year. I, not saying it will be easy or that there won't be bumps along the way, but right now the conference is ours until someone takes it from us! Now lets go get the W on Saturday!

[Out of Bounce]

I hope CU comes out and plays like they are expected to win the MVC, because our young guys need all the tough tests they can get for STL. If Creighton is like the team of old, they will come prepared and I would take a loss if it meant a learning curve and better preparation if we play them in the tourney. The upcoming road games will be better tests of that, but this still will be a tough game. It will be interesting to see how this young team responds to the target on its back.

I will take the learning curve of winning. I am not one to take a lost for anything. Lets do one thing first win the MVC and then worry about the tournament in STL. Win Baby, Just Win

[BUconnorD]

I will take the learning curve of winning. I am not one to take a lost for anything. Lets do one thing first win the MVC and then worry about the tournament in STL. Win Baby, Just Win

well said

learning from a loss can do harm to a team

learning from a win can NEVER do harm

let's go BU 2x as loud for Sat.

[patrick_o'brian]

IMO this game is the biggest so far this season. If we can win this one we basically bury Creighton. It seems that they are in turmoil over there as it is. 3 straight Valley losses would be catastrophic. Also for BU with such a young team, losing this game then going on the road for 3 straight games, we could be 4-4 before we see these boys again at Carver. We ALL need to get out to Carver Saturday and support our Braves. GO BU!

[bluedevils1]

IMO this game is the biggest so far this season. If we can win this one we basically bury Creighton. It seems that they are in turmoil over there as it is. 3 straight Valley losses would be catastrophic. Also for BU with such a young team, losing this game then going on the road for 3 straight games, we could be 4-4 before we see these boys again at Carver. We ALL need to get out to Carver Saturday and support our Braves. GO BU!

Yeah, we gotta get a big home win before we go three on the road. From the looks of it in another thread, we can really only lose two or three more games in the Valley if we want to get an at-large bid. Although it is unlikely, we have Creighton, Northern Iowa, Evansville, and Drake as tough upcoming home games, and we would need to win at least three of these four to have a shot. With the focus off that, we just need to hold back a determined Creighton team and win one at a time. I don't remember the last time they lost three in a row in the conference.

[doug shank's crossover]

Lawson the key for CU

I think defending Kenny Lawson and limiting his rebounding will be the key to BU defeating CU. BU has shown that it can effectively guard explosive, athletic guards (eldridge, holloway, etc.), so stopping production in the post, much like BU did with Odiakosa (ISU) will be key. By the way, Stinnett might be the most under-achieving player in the Valley this year. Good thing Woodfox is having such a good year for them or they'd be in trouble.

[Rusty 54]

I'm worried about Witter as well. Those 42 points last year are not easily forgotten. But who do they have that is going to match up with TW, CR.....

[doug shank's crossover]

CU May Zone...

Rusty...CU may very well zone BU, though they are almost exclusively a man-to-man team...they have one very good big man (Lawson) and three good guards (although Stinnett isn't known as a stellar defender), but really lack that small forward type of defender that would match up with Roberts / Wilson for BU. Therefore, we may see some 2-3 zone to limit BU's slashing.

[BradleyBrave]

I'm worried about Witter as well. Those 42 points last year are not easily forgotten.

Actually guarding him this year would help.